Download free Microsoft Security Risk Assessment Report e-book

Services, such as cloud technology have transformed the way we operate our daily business. All the data is stored in one centralized place and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. All of this warrants the use of strategies that ensure security. Also, it becomes essential to educate employees on the importance of data security so that can implement best practices and stay safe. Microsoft Security Risk Assessment Report helps you gauge the efficacy of your security strategy by evaluating the implementation of the defense deployed.

The Risk Assessment Report focuses on seven areas businesses to primarily improve data protection and reduce the risk of cyber threats. The best possible solution for this is to include employee education and workplace best practices to strengthen the security posture.

Microsoft Security Risk Assessment Report

The report is available as a free e-book for download. The guide outlines issues and ways to tackle them. This includes methods to:

1] Reduce threats with identity and access management

It has been a common observation – The weakest links in security are employees. They access resources and technology from a variety of locations and devices. This increased mobility exposes them to various risks and can result in a number of complications from a security perspective including password and location-based access management concerns. Employees can accidentally leak sensitive data on social networks, and external attackers can use these corporate vulnerabilities to their advantage. For instance, they can use leaked credentials – to access networks and steal customer information, intellectual property, or other sensitive data. This puts the business at severe risk of financial, legal, or public relations damage.

How to control this? Access management can help reduce this risk. For example, give single identity to access cloud and on-premise resources and eliminate the need for multiple credentials. Second, revoke access privileges when an employee changes roles, leaves the company or no longer requires access to certain shares. Enforce second-factor authentication based on risk behaviors.

2] Manage mobile devices and apps

The emerging trend of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the use of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications proliferate security concerns by manifolds. How? Anytime devices are stolen, lost, or simply left unattended data is left vulnerable and under-protected. Similarly, critical data is dumped in the public cloud, which is not always governed by the same security standards as a private cloud or on-premises solutions. As such, it is essential to have tighter security arrangements in place. You can ensure this by enabling employees to freely use the device for their personal purposes and only protect the corporate data and being more transparent about what IT does to employee devices.

3] Reduce malware exposure

Simply visiting some websites is enough to expose your machine to Malware. Phishing and Spoofing techniques employed for infecting systems have become extremely sophisticated and often trick users into downloading infected files via fake emails from trusted brands. How can one help to make the browsing experience much safe? Well, education can prove to be the first line of defense. Ask employees to read the basic guidance and complete training that details common methods of malware attack. Develop a habit among users of making them ‘double check URLs‘ in the email. Also, consider implementing email protection solutions that can help prevent malware and phishing attempts from reaching employees’ inboxes. Lastly, suggest workers limit their app usage to those downloaded from an authentic or genuine source.

4] Prevent data loss

Thanks to the internet, we are sharing more than ever! However, most of the time, we are not aware of the dangers of sending important documents like tax files and others over via e-mail, right? Before you hit send, here are a few tips on how to better secure your information when sending it over e-mail.

Sharing documents through email and other online tools is an important productivity tool for workers, but to err is human. Employees can easily send information to the wrong recipient, or attach the wrong document, inadvertently sharing access to sensitive data. Security professionals must understand the risks and benefits of data sharing and develop appropriate plans to minimize data loss to keep greater security. That said, how do you allow employees to share files in email without endangering their sensitive information? It’s simple, start by reducing the likelihood of a leak! Use Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities within an ecosystem to protect data when it is moved, and when it is shared. An email can be limited to distribution within an organization or carry digital rights that restrict who can open it. So, extend DLP beyond email as well. Certain word processor, spreadsheets, and presentation programs do offer restricted access options that prevent unauthorized users from opening files.

5] Enable secure collaboration

When it comes to sharing information, convenience often trumps security. So, how to encourage workers to collaborate while minimizing risks of compromised information? The answer – offer a flexible, easy-to-use secure solution that meets their needs.

Establish secure tools for sharing information, and ensure the right people have access. This includes a secured document sharing solution, such as a SharePoint, restricted-access network share, or cloud-based solution.

Anand Khanse is the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, a 10-year Microsoft MVP Awardee in Windows (2006-16) & a Windows Insider MVP. Please read the entire post & the comments first, create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any 3rd-party offers while installing freeware.